Thursday, November 8, 2012

Dexie and Dexter Meet G4 (CGM Love!)

That means that one very happy oldest daughter will come home from school to be pleasantly surprised by her lovely G4 and our other youngest daughter,

Hmmmm, let's just say that hers will be arriving tomorrow. Yuck. I hate it when things like this happen to siblings!!!! Now if one cries and says it hurts, the other is automatically going to freak out!!!! Argh!

Since I love package reveals, here is the first installment of the new G4 review.

Upon Fed-Ex arrival, the contents of the box is immediately ripped open and dumped out. Because nothing is more fun than new T1D gadgets!!!!

A quick overview identifies three nicely contained boxes in durable cardboard. Do you keep your boxes? I do!

The contents include the new G4 receiver, the new G4 sensor and the insertion device.

The G4 receiver is sleek and thin and PINK!!!!! (You can choose from Pink, Blue and Black on the receiver). The G4 receiver box size is a tad misleading because you can see from opening the carton, the footprint of the G4 is rather small. Waste of packaging space people!

If I were to compare to the older model Dexcom, I would say the thickness of the G4 is about half the size or less. The length and width are similar, with the bigger difference being aesthetics in square corners and a color screen... G4 does not look like typical medical equipment. In fact, I feel like it could easily pass as my daughter's pink Apple Nano.

On of my daughters first questions were to wonder how best to carry the G4 around. In the box, DexCom supplies a leather case designed to clip to a belt or waistband. It seems a little bulky though and I am not sure yet if my daughters will be willing to wear it. Pants pockets or a shirt pocket seems just as nice.

The G4 sensor is located in the second smaller box. Upon opening, a huge warning label appears directing you not to remove the sensor until you are ready for insertion. I had a laugh because anyone who has used one of these sensors understands how easy they are to lose.

After my laugh, I immediately broke the rules (don't do this people!!!), ignored the warning and popped it out. Mostly because I wanted to see if the science was still the same. It appears to be with the sensor code located on the back side and the same little sensor tabs that are used with the insertion device to transmit blood sugar readings. Other than being a lighter color and slightly smaller, the sensors are the same.

And finally, the third box contains the insertion device. It looks eerily similar to our old DexCom and I am a little worried about that. Part of my talk with the girls was to convince them that the insertion would be less painful as the new G4 has a thinner, smaller needle.

However, as we live in a real life household, I have a feeling that my kids will take one look at that and be in complete disbelief over having less pain upon injection.

Sigh. I wish that manufacturers would tap into patients thoughts as they design these things.

Right now, as per instruction, the receiver is charging via the enclosed wall charger. (A USB cord is available as well for another option in charging). I have about four more hours to go (total of five hours for a wall and 7 hours for USB) before I can insert into my oldest daughter which is fine, especially since she is in school.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on the update of the G4 insertion and the arrival (hopefully) of youngest daughter's G4.

I will update several times over the next few weeks with the Naturally Sweet Sisters opinions, so that you can have a great idea of whether or not an upgrade to the G4 or just using a CGM is right for your family.

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About The Author

I am a wife, mother and full- time acting pancreas for two beautiful little girls. I enjoy antique and thrift shopping, decorating, staying connected with friends and learning all there is to know about Type 1 Diabetes.

Website Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a doctor and I do not have medical training. I do not have Type 1 Diabetes nor does my husband. I am a mother to two daughters who have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

The purpose of this site is to help families dealing with Type 1 Diabetes to have a place to come together to share stories about Type 1 Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is challenging both physically and emotionally and a little support goes a long way. Naturally Sweet Sisters offers me, as a parent, a way to connect with other families living with Type 1 Diabetes and an outlet through which to share my own experiences. The information provided on Naturally Sweet Sisters is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional.